Animated toy



May 12, 193.1. P. P. wEHNER 1,805,156

ANIMATED TQY Filed June 13, 1929 /NvENToR @www @wm/0M@ V ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1931 UNTED STATES PATENT OFQE PETER PAUL WERNER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO ANIMATED TOY Application led June 13, 1929. Serial No. 370,658.

My invention relates to toys, and its object is to provide a simulation of a person brushing the teeth, in a form which will be interesting and amusing to children and which will be instructive to them in that it lo merchandise useful in the care of the teeth,

which merchandise may be sold or given with the toy and may be taken therefrom for use and be replaced therein between uses; thus serving as an advertising medium l for such merchandise incident to sale or presentation of the toy, and throughout the use of the toy. Further objects will appear in the course of the following description.

I accomplish these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan, the section being on the horizontal plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the brush on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

As herein exemplified, the toy is a representation of Santa Claus, selected as the character probably having a greater attraction for young children than any other usually represented by toys, and affording a good theme upon which the parents may base their admonitions to the child in regard to proper care of the teeth.

As I prefer to construct this toy, it is composed of a body of sheet metal pressed and embossed in a front section 1 and a rear section 2, a stationary left forearm and hand 3, a right forearm and hand member 4 having an integral extension 5 forming part of the brush structure, a wire 6 constituting the supporting and driving means for the movable arm part 4 and the brush, of which latter this wire also forms part of the structure, and a spring motor mechanism 7 mounted within the body sections 1 and 2 and operatively connected to the wire 6 for imparting motion to the arm part 4 and the brush.

The rear edge 8 of the front body section 1 overlaps the front edge 9 of the rear section 2 at the top and sides of the figure, and bent forward -from the foot portion of the front section 1 is a flat base part 10, while bent backward from the foot portion of the rear section 2 is a similar flat base part 11; these lying in a common horizontal plane and being of sufficient extent to support the figure upright on a flat surface. Between i the legs of the figure the sections 1 and 2 have plane portions 12 and 13 which lie together; the portion 12 of the front section 1 having a tongue 14 clenched through a slot 15 in the portion 13 of the rear section. Similar tongues 16, 17 and 18 project back from the rear edge 8 of the front section 1V and are clenched in through slots 19, 2O and 21 in the rear section 2, at the top, left and right sides of the ligure, respectively. The

mouth of the ligure is represented by an embossed depression 22, the bottom of which simulates the teeth; and somewhat more than half of this bottom, over to the left side, is slitted away from the sides of the depression, forming a flap 23 which is bent backward and inward.

The stationary left forearm and hand member 3 has at its elbow end a tongue 24 which is bent inward and clenched through a slit 25 in the lower lateral part of the integral extension 26 of the rear section 2 which with a like extension on the front section 1 simulates the upper part of the left arm; and the hand end of the forearm member 3 has a tongue 27 inserted into a slit 28 at the middlev of the front of the figure.

This left forearm member 3 is bowed forwardly as well as embossed into a rearwardl" o enino channel sha Je admitting the ar- .Y as n :D

ticle of merchandise between the member 3 and the body of the ligure; such article being herein exemplied by the collapsible tube A, which may be a tube of toothpaste. Such tubes, being tapered downwardly, will wedge into the position indicated and be held by the forearm member 3 in a natural lifelike manner. The hand extension or tongue 27 is made amply' long to remain engaged in the slit 28 of the body while allowing some distension of the member 3 outwardly in adjustment to the. held article A.

The upper part of the right arm is simulated by an embossed extension 29 near the front of the front section l; the front side of this extension being fiat in an upright plane, and having an opening back through it. The right forearm member 4, embossed to a rearwardly opening channel shape, has at its elbow end an upturned ear 30, fiat in an upright plane, with an opening through it. The hand end has the continuation or extension 5 simulating the handle and back of the toothbrush and is extended considerably farther than is necessary to represent the brush back, in a strip 31, which is inserted through the mouth opening where the flap 22) is bent inward, to bear forwardly against the irmer side of the front sect-ion l adjacent to the left corner of the mouth opening; preferably having its end part bent forward (Fig. l) to additionally bear resiliently against said inner side of the section.

The wire G is bentto have a front portion, the end 82 of which is flat-tened, and, with the brush fibers 83 4) between it and the rerr of the brush back part of the member 4, has the longitudinal edge porions of this part bent back over its edges, clamping the fibers 33 with the opposite ends of the fibers, above and below the wire G, extending backward and bearing against the bent in tooth simulating flap 23. The brush handle portion of the member 4 is clenched back around the adjacent round portion of the wire 6, fastening the upper part of the member 4 firmly to the wire.

This front portion of the wire 6 extends down inside the channeled forearm member 4, bending back through the opening in the ear and the opening in the body extension 29 into the interior of the body, where it is bent upward in al rearwardly inclined direction and has its ripper end part bent back horizontally, forming a wrist 34. rlhe part of the wire 6 in the opening of the extension 29 thus forms a fulcrum pivot for the member 4 and the brush, on which the brush can swing along an upwardly inclined arc indicated by the broken line B (Fig. 2), across the tooth-simulating flap 23 with an up and down movement that approximately represents the approved manner of brushing the teeth, that is, in the direction of the spaces between the teeth rather than directly across the teeth.

The mechanism 7 comprises three shafts 35, 36 and 37 journaled in the front and back of the body on parallel front-to-rear axes in vertical series. The middle shaft is bent near its middle to form the crank 38, and a pitman 39 formed of a strip of sheet metal has one end looped around the wrist part of this crank 38 and the other end looped around the wrist 34 of the wire 6. Forwardly, this shaft 35 has fixed on it the spur gear 40 and the spur pinion 41, the latter to the rear of the gear. The lowest shaft 36 has an extension outside the back of the body bent to form the handle 42, and just inside the back has fixed on it the ratchet wheel 43 engaged by the pawl 44 which is formed of a resilient wire coiled around the topmost shaft 37 and around the middle or crank shaft and having its lower end part bent back across the ratchet wheel 48. Forwardly, a spur gear 45 is loose on this lowerV shaft 36 and in mesh with the pinion 4l on the crank shaft 35, and has fixed concentrically to it the drum 4G extending back to the ratchet wheel 43. A wire spring 47 is coiled around this drum 46, with its rear end engaged in the ratchet wheel 43 and its front end engaged in the gear 45. rlhe uppermost shaft 37 has fixed on it a spur pinion 48 in mesh with the gear 4() of the crank shaft 35, and also has fixed on it the fan 49 inside the body, and outside the back it has fixed on it the dis t 50.

Preferably, the three shafts 35, 36 and 37 are so arranged relative to the design of the front of the body ofthe toy that, where they extend through and have their bearings in the front, forwardly embossed portions 5l, g

52 and 53, respectively, concentric with the shafts, simulate the buttons of the coat of the figure represented; in which relation the protruding ends of the shafts are not conspicuous but appear as parts of the buttons, thus avoiding disfiguration of the toy which would result in promiscuous location of theseshafts. The extensions of the shafts at the back, of course, are not so noticeable in the regular use of the toy.

The mechanism 7 is wound up by grasping the toy with a finger of the thumb held on the back disk of the fan shaft 37 and turning the handle 42 of the winding shaft 36 with the other hand. Upon release'of the disk 5() the crank shaft 35 oscillates the forearm part 4 and brush as before described, andthe fan 49, through resistance ofthe air in a well known manner, so retards the operation in conjunction with the friction of the parts, especially that of the brush on the flap 23 and of the strip extension 8l thereof against the inside of the toy', that the rate of oscillation is approximately that of the natural movement of the arm invbrushing the teeth.

Characters other than that disclosed may beA represented by toys constructed according to my invention, and other modifications may occur, in the materials and mode of construction, well as in arrangement of parts of the operating mechanism, and therefore, while I have specifically set forth a preferred example which I regard as b@- ing well adapted for the instruct-ive funclua 'ilo

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tions mentioned, as Well as for very economical manufacture, I do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise disclosure, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An animated toy comprising a piece of sheet material having an opening simulating a mouth and a flap bent back from said opening, simulating teeth, a simulation of a brush in said opening adjacent to said flap, and means for moving said simulation of a brush.

2. An animated toy comprising a body having an extension simulating the upper part of a limb thereof, and a head having a simulation of teeth thereon, and a member pivoted on said extension, simulating the fore part of the limb and simulating a brush held by the limb and moved thereby across said simulation of teeth.

3. ln an animated toy, a simulation of the body and head of a living beino', including a simulation of teeth, a wire iaving a bent portion forming a pivot in said body and having one end adjacent to said simulation of teeth, and a piece of sheet material having a portion formed to simulate the fore part of a limb of said being, in front of said wire, having at one end an ear bent behind it with an opening receiving the wire near its portion forming the pivot, and having its portion near the other end formed to represent a brush handle and a brush back, in front of said wire Where said wire is adjacent to said simulation of teeth,

and being clenched behind said wire where it represents the brush handle.

4. In an animated toy, a simulation of the body and head of a living being, including a simulation of teeth, and a member having one end part simulating the fore part of a limb of said being, said end part having a pivotal connection with said body and having its other end part simulating a brush, and means whereby said member is limite'd to swinging said simulation of a brush across said simulation of teeth.

5. An animated toy simulating a living being, comprising a part having a simulation of teeth and having an opening adjacent to said simulation, and a member cornprising a simulation of a brush extending into said opening and movable relatively to said part to move said simulation of a brush across said simulation of teeth.

6. An animated toy simulating a living being, comprised a part having a simulation of teeth and having an opening adjacent to said simulation, and a member pivoted on said portion below and aside from said opening and said simulation, comprising a simulation of a brush extending into said opening and swung by said member across said simulation of teeth.

PETER PAUL WEHNER. 

